The panel, held under the theme “African Sovereignty in Action: Perspectives on Information and the Initiative for the Atlantic region “, was also an opportunity to highlight the contribution of press agencies in general, and FAAPA in particular, in supporting development initiatives in the Sahel-Atlantic region, notably the Strategic Initiative launched by HM King Mohammed VI to promote access by Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, through a regional cooperation approach to shared development.
The panel, moderated by Cameroonian journalist and media expert Xavier Messé A Tiati, referred to the ways of upholding the sovereignty of African information and pooling efforts to counter “fake news” that is damaging to Africa’s image, while highlighting African specificities in their cultural, political and economic diversity.
Director General of the Senegalese News Agency (APS), Thierno Ahmadou Sy, noted that the promotion of information cooperation at continental level depends on the establishment of strong media, “supported and backed at all levels, whether by institutions, African industrialists, companies or elected governments”.
“To compete with those in front of us, we need strength”, he insisted, noting that “we draw this strength from our African environment”.
In this regard, the APS DG paid tribute to the various partners of FAPPA and press agencies in Africa, saying that the support provided by these partners “is not a matter of marketing and sales, but a guarantee of a better future for a strong Africa”.
For his part, Director General of the Congolese News Agency (ACP), Bienvenu-Marie Bakumanya, emphasized the importance of intra-African cooperation and solidarity in various fields, noting that Morocco offers a model to follow in this area, as evidenced by the investments made by the Kingdom in various countries on the continent.
In the information field, he called for efforts to consolidate the presence of press agencies and other media outlets on the continental media scene, through equipping them with the logistical resources and technical tools to enable them to carry out their mission in the best possible conditions.
In this respect, he proposed the holding of joint reports and investigations within FAAPA, pointing out that the federation of efforts is the only way to make Africa’s voice heard and to make the African reality known as it is.
Managing editor of “Finances News Hebdo”, Fatima Zahra Ouriaghli, pointed out that this General Assembly is being held in an exceptional context, marked by the launch of the Royal Strategic Initiative to promote access to the Atlantic coast for Sahelian countries, highlighting the particular attention paid by HM King Mohammed VI to the development of Africa and the strengthening of South-South cooperation.
Stressing the importance of cooperation between the various FAAPA bodies, which have the means to combine and federate their efforts, she noted that the Federation, as a platform for exchange, plays a key role in preserving information sovereignty on the continent.
Ouriaghli also noted that Africa “is in the process of reinventing itself, and needs collective intelligence, through the pooling of efforts to democratize information and find innovative solutions”, adding that FAAPA is a vector for ensuring independence in terms of information.
She also pointed out that African press agencies are called upon to seize the opportunities available to them and take advantage of the best practices of journalists to forge appropriate responses and achieve media sovereignty, particularly in the context of the strong digitalization of news.
Director General of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Albert Kofi Owusu, called for joint action and cooperation at all levels between African press agencies to overcome all current challenges, especially “fake news”.
In this respect, he pointed out that press agencies should communicate more on all the initiatives and programs set up on a continental scale, with the aim of highlighting Africa and its natural and human resources.
Owusu also emphasized the need to invest more in developing cooperation between African press agencies and capitalize on FAAPA’s achievements, for greater visibility with the world’s media, calling for intensified meetings and communication between the various African media players for the preservation of media sovereignty.
Hels under the theme “African newsmaking: a major sovereign stake”, the 7th FAAPA General Assembly brings together, for two days, Directors General of African press agencies, media experts and prominent figures from the Atlantic African region to explore ways of strengthening African sovereignty, through information and dynamic initiatives along the Atlantic coastline.
